“tokens” is a form of
token
UK /ˈtəʊkən/ · US /ˈtoʊkən/ noun, adjective, verb
Forms tokens tokening tokened
- noun Something serving as an expression of something else. “According to the Bible, the rainbow is a token of God's covenant with Noah.”
- noun A keepsake. “Please accept this bustier as a token of our time together.”
- noun A piece of stamped metal or plastic, etc., used as a form of currency; a voucher that can be exchanged for goods or services. “Subway tokens are being replaced by magnetic cards.”
- noun A small physical object, often designed to give the appearance of a common thing, used to represent a person or character in a board game or other situation. “Everyone pick a token (hat, wheelbarrow, thimble, etc.) and place it on the Start square.”
- noun A minor attempt for appearance's sake, or to minimally comply with a requirement; a formality. “His apology was no more than a token.”
- noun A member of a group of people that is included within a larger group to comply with a legal or social requirement.
- noun (obsolete, sometimes figurative) Evidence, proof; a confirming detail; physical trace, mark, footprint.
- noun Support for a belief; grounds for an opinion.
- adjective Done as an indication or a pledge.
- adjective Perfunctory or merely symbolic; done or existing for appearance's sake, or to minimally comply with a requirement. “a token gesture”
- adjective (of people) Included in minimal numbers in order to create an impression or illusion of diversity, especially ethnic or gender diversity. “He was hired as the company's token black person.”
- verb To betoken, indicate, portend, designate, denote
- verb To betroth
- verb (philosophy) To symbolize, instantiate
Synonyms
sign symbol pledge memento souvenir reason reasoning miracle password item keepsake relic nominal tokenish
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English token, taken, from Old English tācn (“sign, symbol”), from Proto-West Germanic *taikn, from Proto-Germanic *taikną (“indicator, symbol, sign”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to show, instruct, teach”) with Germanic *k rather than *h by Kluge's law.
Cognate with Scots takin, taiken (“token, sign”), Saterland Frisian Teken (“sign, symbol”), West Frisian teken (“sign, mark, symbol”), Dutch teken (“sign, indication, symbol”), German Low German Teken (“sign, symbol”), German Zeichen (“sign, token”), Danish tegn (“sign, token, character”), Swedish tecken (“sign, indication”), Faroese tekn, tekin (“mark, sign, signal”), Icelandic teikn (“sign, omen”), Icelandic tákn (“symbol”).
The verb is from Middle English toknen, from Old English tācnian.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Something intended or supposed to represent or indicate another thing or an event; a sign; a symbol; as, the rainbow is a token of God's covenant established with Noah.
- noun A memorial of friendship; something by which the friendship of another person is to be kept in mind; a memento; a souvenir.
- verb To betoken. [Obs.] Shak.
Etymology [OE. token, taken, AS. tacen; akin to OFries. teken, OS. tekan, D. teeken, G. zeichen, OHG. Zeihhan, Icel. takan, teiken, Sw. tecken, Dan. tegn, Goth. taikns sign, token, gateihan to tell, show, AS. teón to accuse, G. zeihen, OHG. zihan, G. zeigen to show, OHG. zeigon, Icel. tja, L. dicere to say, Gr. di. Cf. Diction, Teach.]
Etymology [AS. tacnian, fr. tacen token. See Token, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “token”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details